Unafraid to mix a wealth of different styles into their already multi-flavoured metal, US trio Crypitus is a force on the rise. Rising up through the Vermont music scene, the threesome of Doug Friend, Zach Patch, and Peter Snee have become an attention grabbing, mosh pit inciting proposition. 2017 is already proving their biggest and most potent yet and with their first release imminent we got down to exploring the heart of Crypitus with thanks to the trio, talking origins, music, and making opportunities….
Hi guys, thanks for taking time out to talk with us.
Can you first introduce the band and give us some background to how you got together?
Doug: We are Crypitus “The HomeGrown Vermont Metal Band” which includes myself, Doug (guitarist/vocalist), Pete (guitarist), and Zach (percussionist). Crypitus was my first project with songs that I started as early as 2011. I had an old friend that I played with through high school but we ended up going separate ways. Me and Pete moved in together in early 2016 and he picked up some of my riffs. We couldn’t find a drummer until we came across Zach’s Facebook post that he was essentially looking for a band to play with so we kicked it into gear and I cannot believe how far we’ve gone!
Zach: Well I guess Facebook brought us together if you want to get technical, but I know that, in reality, it was fate. I was desperately searching the internet for local musicians to jam with and Pete and Doug were the first clowns to respond. The rest is history.
Pete: We are Crypitus! Doug and I jammed a bit when we were roommates and decided to find a drummer together. We met Zach on Facebook and Crypitus was born as it is today.
Have you been involved in other bands before? If so has that had any impact on what you are doing now?
Doug: Crypitus is my baby, my first and only band, but as the years goes by the speed picks up, the riffs get tighter and I watch my own personal experience shape my songs, it’s actually really cool to see.
Zach: Since I was like 15, if I wasn’t actively in a band, I was working my ass off to grow as a musician. Every musician I’ve played with has influenced me in one way or another, one even tried to kill me. I can say, after playing heavy metal for so many years, I was ready to play some more groovy tunes, but, alas-fate.
Pete: I was in a blues rock band before Crypitus and while it was fun, I wanted to play heavier music. I’ve jammed with plenty of musician friends over the years but this is the first band I’ve played shows with.
What inspired the band name?
Doug: The band’s name actually was thought of by one of my old teachers. We were learning about wilderness first aid one day and he comes up to me and exclaims “You know what would be a sick metal band name?! Crepitus; it’s the sound of bones breaking” Low and behold somehow I pulled a Dave Mustaine and now we are Crypitus!
Was there any specific idea behind the forming of the band and also in what you wanted it and your sound to offer?
Doug: The idea I had was basically an old school thrash revival with a new age kick and a good blend of other bits of my favorite sub genres, creating a rounded bone crunching sound!
Zach: I was just glad to find someone to rock out with. Doug already had those ideas, but as for me, I want my drumming to sound radical enough so that when people see Crypitus play, they’ll never forget it.
Pete: Doug had a bunch of songs already written but we’ve added our own personality to them. We all had pretty similar musical tastes so after jamming together for a bit it just clicked.
Do the same things and ideas still drive the band from when it was fresh-faced or have they evolved over time?
Doug: Both are true honestly, since the songs were constructed by me the drive is still the same but since we have been play together for about a year, it’s hard not to evolve as you grow accustom to each other as musicians.
Zach: I still have the same drive as I did day one- have a blast, be unforgettable, act professional so they beg you to come back.
Pete: From the beginning we’ve all been driven by wanting to share our music and jam out in front of an audience. That definitely still drives us today, especially when we write new songs and can’t wait to play them live.
Since your early days, how would you say your sound has grown and evolved?
Doug: We have definitely gained way more energy and speed!
Zach: Our music has gotten so freakin’ fast! You can hear just how much we’ve grown as a band for yourself. Listen to one of our first live recordings on YouTube, then listen to a recent version of the same song. I did and I was like, woah!
Pete: We’ve sped up a bit but we’ve also evolved as musicians, both separately and together. When we write a new song and we’re each adding our own flavor, we build on what each other is playing as opposed to just playing our own parts.
Everything has been an organic movement, in sound etc. or more the band deliberately going out to try new things?
Doug: Definitely organic, I haven’t had anything to say about our sound besides just trying to get tighter!
Zach: our sound is 100% certified organic 😉
Pete: The new songs sound like a natural progression of the songs we played at first, I think. Crypitus sounds like, and always will, sound like Crypitus.
Presumably across the band there is a wide range of inspirations; are there any in particular which have impacted not only on the band’s music but your personal approach and ideas to creating and playing music?
Doug: I am heavily influenced by the songs of Megadeth and Death and a lot of the bands to come out of the New Wave of Thrash Metal.
Zach: Every show we play there’s a band or all the bands that absolutely blow us away. We watch and learn whenever and wherever we can.
Pete: I get bored listening to the same music over and over so I like to listen to a bit of everything. When I get stuck inspirationally, I like to listen to The Beatles or Pink Floyd…their really simplistic songs let my mind get back to the basics of chord progression and harmony.
Is there a particular process to your songwriting?
Doug: We have mostly have been catching up with a backlog of songs I’ve written in the past, although pretty soon there will be some sick new material!
Zach: I guess my process is wait ‘till they write something and then try every idea I have until I find the right one; it’s all trial and error.
Pete: Doug will come up with a riff and we’ll all play it together. After a while playing it and changing parts, we have a song. It’s a lot of in-the-moment songwriting; changing up a harmony this time we play it or how many measures we play a section that time.
Where do you, more often than not, draw the inspirations to the lyrical side of your songs?
Doug: I draw my lyrical inspiration from worldly turmoil and human misdeeds. Metal has always been about bringing light to the dark for me.
Please give us some backgrounds to your latest release.
Doug: Our first/next release is our demo! Exhibit 1: Prelude to the Dead World will feature some of our favorite/hit songs Breakdown, Tundra, and Thunder. Keep your eyes peeled! It’s going to be killer!
Pete: Our upcoming release is three songs we’ve been playing from the start: Breakdown, Tundra, and Thunder. We jammed to those when we played with Zach for the first time, so it’s only fitting it’s our first release.
Would you give us some insight to the themes and premise behind it and its songs.
Doug: Breakdown is a song I wrote to portray mental conflict and insanity. Tundra is a song that portrayed the idea of transcendentalism and isolation “Into the bitter abyss, can’t get better than this, tundra tundra let me have this!” And the final song Thunder is basically a warning to the world, if you don’t respect Mother Earth, she will bite back.
Are you a band which goes into the studio with songs pretty much in their final state or prefer to develop them as you record?
Doug: For this release we were very well prepared going in!
Zach: The songs are always finished when we record. Our shits gotta be tight.
Pete: We have all our parts pretty planned out when we record.
Tell us about the live side to the band, presumably the favourite aspect of the band?
Doug: Stage presence and energy is definitely what makes the show!
Zach: I think the favorite aspect of Crypitus live is the energy we bring. Doug’s running in circles around the crowd, starting the moshing, sometimes dressed as a taco. Myself, I prefer clown shenanigans.
Pete: My favorite part of playing live, besides the crowd, is watching Doug’s shenanigans. He’s always running around while playing, starting mosh pits.
It is not easy for any new band to make an impact regionally let alone nationally and further afield. How have you found it your neck of the woods? Are there the opportunities to make a mark if the drive is there for new bands?
Doug: In our neck of the woods there aren’t a whole lot of opportunities and for the most part none of the bars in our town are allowing heavy music. But more recently than not our local record store has opened its doors to live music, I can’t wait to see what Rick and Kats Howlin’ Mouse does for the local scene! But being from Vermont I was hell bent to play anywhere new to have new people turn their heads.
Zach: I think no matter where you are, nothing is going to happen unless you make it happen. No matter the scene in what neck of the woods, if you put your best effort in, it will pay off.
Pete: We’ve had some issues playing in our town in the past. Venues are few and far between and there aren’t too many promoters in our area. If you’re willing to drive out of state though, there are plenty of shows going on always looking for new bands to book. All it takes is some social media presence, at which Doug is a master.
How has the internet and social media impacted on the band to date?
Doug: Without social media it would have been a wicked challenge to be where we are now.
Zach: Social media is priceless. Way more effective than posting flyers, although we’ve done that recently. I also think, at least as far as promoting our band goes, social media will always be a priceless tool.
Pete: Besides a couple in-person hook ups, most of our shows are booked through social media. Having a Bandcamp or SoundCloud is very important, I think. Even if it’s just ripped from live videos, when I check out a band I like to be able to hear some of their songs.
Once again a big thanks for sharing time with us; anything you would like to add or reveal for the readers?
Doug: Follow us on Facebook to keep an eye out for the demo, I also plan on uploading it to Bandcamp as well! Thanks for the interview RingMaster!
https://www.facebook.com/crypitus/ https://crypitus.bandcamp.com/
The RingMaster Review 23/06/2017
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
Categories: Interviews, Music
The RingMaster Review 
Leave a Reply